


Ulterior Motive

by HopelessOwls



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Complete, F/F, Humor, Oneshot, Pre-Romance, Romance, Yule Ball
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-11
Updated: 2014-08-14
Packaged: 2018-02-12 16:42:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2117187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopelessOwls/pseuds/HopelessOwls
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermione finds out why Fleur has been spending so much time in the library.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> First time writing for this ship, so hope you enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters and ideas associated with it

Hermione wondered why Fleur spent so much time in the library.

As far as she could tell, Fleur never really read anything. Sure, she picked up books, and sure, she flipped through the pages, but Hermione could tell she wasn't really reading them, or at least not paying attention to what she was reading. Hermione didn't even know how well Fleur could read English – maybe she was trying to improve?

Normally, Hermione wouldn't care who came to the library and who didn't, and strictly speaking, she didn't mind Fleur sitting at her table where she quietly flipped pages and sometimes played with a strand of her long hair, even though she didn't much like her, with all Fleur's complaining about the castle. What she did mind, however, was the gaggle of first and second year boys who followed her in a pack, constantly gazing at her like blind men seeing the sun for the first time. Even more annoying were the older boys were constantly whispering about her between the bookshelves, either moaning about how "hot" Fleur was or trying to pluck up the courage to ask her to the Ball.

The Ball. That was the reason why Hermione wasn't able to pay attention to her Transfiguration homework and was instead staring across the library, eyes glazed and lost in thought.

Hermione had hoped someone would have asked her to the Yule Ball by now; true, it was still a week away, but all the girls in her dorm already had dates and spent most of their time talking about the boys they were going with or else asking Hermione if she was going with Ron or Harry.

Of course, Hermione wouldn't have minded going to the ball with Ron or Harry – as friends. Or, she wouldn't have minded going with Ron until he "asked" her like he had assumed she was available and couldn't possibly have already been asked by someone else. Neither of them had dates yet, either, though Hermione was more worried about Harry showing up to the ball without a partner – he was one of the champions, after all, and he and the others opened the dance. He would look pretty sad if he didn't have a date.

Hermione was wondering if she should just tell Harry they should go as friends to save Harry the trouble of trying to find someone to ask, when a book plunked down on the table across from her. Hermione jumped, realizing she had been staring at the same page in her book for the past ten minutes without absorbing any of the information, and looked up. Fleur Delacour stood in front of the table with her hair pulled behind one shoulder and her slender fingers tapping the cover of the book she had just dropped on the table.

For a moment, Hermione waited for her to say something, and when she didn't, asked, "Er – do you need something?"

"Yes," Fleur said, taking a seat, though Hermione had not invited her to sit. "I was wondering eef you could 'elp me with somezing."

Hermione slowly put her quill down, staring at Fleur and trying to figure out why she had suddenly come over to talk to her. "Alright."

Fleur opened her book and flipped through the pages for a moment, and pushed it towards Hermione when she found the one she wanted. "I do not understand zis word zey use 'ere. I zink I know what zhe spell is, but the word zey use is different."

Hermione leaned over the table to look at what she was pointing at, and frowned slightly in thought. "It's the teleportation spell, to vanish objects and have them reappear somewhere else."

"Oh, zat is all. I 'ad zought so, but I was not sure. Merci." Fleur said, pulling her book back. She looked at Hermione for a moment, and then behind Hermione's shoulder, and her expression dissolved into heavy disdain. "Why is 'e allowed een ze school?"

Hermione twisted around to see who she was talking about and saw Peeves pulling books out of the shelves and Madam Prince running over to him with a look of wrath on her face.

"A poltergeist like 'em would never 'ave been allowed into Beauxbatons," Fleur continued, "I do not see why Dumblydorr does not expel 'em."

It seemed to Hermione that Fleur always had something bad to say about Hogwarts. She was always comparing the castle to Beauxbatons' palace, with Beauxbatons always the better school, and describing how Hogwarts could be improved – by being more like Beauxbations, Hermione would guess. "I suppose Dumbledore has his own reasons," Hermione told her stiffly when she couldn't think up a reason as to why Peeves was allowed to stay in the castle. "He lets the other ghosts in, so why not Peeves?"

"Because ze ozer ghosts do not pour ink onto people's 'eads," Fleur said haughtily, watching Peeves zoom out of the library with narrowed eyes. Hermione pressed her lips together to keep from smiling at the mental image of Peeves dumping ink into Fleur's hair.

Silence fell and Hermione waited for Fleur to get up and leave. She didn't.

"Is there something else you need?" Hermione asked, trying to not sound rude and not quite succeeding.

"Yes," Fleur said after a long moment. "I was wondering if you would like to go to zhe Yule Ball with me."

It took a moment for Hermione to process what Fleur had just said. It took an even longer moment for Hermione to close her mouth and work out what to say.

"Uh…I – I'm not – don't you already have a d-date?" Hermione spluttered finally.

Fleur shrugged, not looking at all put off by Hermione's response. "Not zet. I 'ave not asked anybody before now."

"But people have asked you," Hermione said, thinking of Ron.

"Yes, but none who I 'ave wanted to go with."

Hermione stared at her. Fleur had never spoken to her before today, and she suddenly asked her to the Ball? What shocked Hermione even more than the offer itself was that she wasn't totally against it; she didn't even like Fleur, so why even think about going with her? But she was.

"Do you not like women like zhat?" Fleur asked, breaking the silence. She still didn't look disappointed, only curious.

"Er, I – I don't know." It was true. Hermione had never really looked at anyone the way the girls in her dorm talked about, whether they were male or female. She had never been in a relationship, either. Hermione honestly didn't know who she was attracted to.

"Oh, I zee," Fleur said, nodding. "Do you already 'ave a date?"

"No."

Fleur smiled "So would you like to go with me?"

Hermione blinked, sorting her thoughts and finally asked, "Why do you want to go with me? I've never spoken to you before." Hermione couldn't help but glance around them to see if anybody was hearing their conversation. It seemed Fleur's fanclub had stayed back at her old table and were now staring at her longingly; Hermione didn't understand how Fleur could stand it, they would have driven her mad after half an hour. Nobody else was paying attention to them.

"You seem interesting, 'Ermione. I would like to get to know you better. But, of course, you do not 'ave to say yes. I would understand eef you do not wish to go with me. I do not theenk I 'ave made a very good impression on you."

"You haven't," Hermione said, and then clamped her mouth shut, but Fleur only laughed.

"Zat is understandable. Zank you for 'elping me." She closed her book and made to get up, but stopped when Hermione spoke again.

"I'll – I'll go with you, Fleur." Hermione hoped she wasn't blushing. Sure, Hermione didn't like Fleur all that much, but she didn't know her very well either. What was the worst that could happen?

Fleur turned back to her and smiled again. "You will? C'est excellent. I will meet you in front of zhe Great Hall, yes? It will be fun. I look forward to it, 'Ermione."

Hermione watched Fleur walk back to her table, her head spinning as she tried to sort out what just happened. Fleur Delacour asked her to the Yule Ball. And Hermione said yes.

Ron would never believe it.


	2. Enchanted

Looking at herself in the tall mirror in the corner of her dormitory, Hermione was beginning to think her rash decision to go with Fleur to the Yule Ball may have been a mistake.

She hadn't told Ron or Harry – or anyone, really, who she was going with. Harry and Ron hadn't asked, and the girls in her dorm apparently had assumed she was going with one of her best friends. In fact, Hermione thought many people assumed she was going alone, even Harry and Ron.

Hermione knew for a fact that there were very few people who knew she was going with someone, even if only one of them knew exactly who – Ginny knew Fleur had asked her because when Hermione returned to the common room from the library, still trying to wrap her head around it all, Hermione had blurted out everything that had just happened instead of just saying hello, as she had meant to. Viktor Krum and Neville knew because they both had asked her to the ball as well – to Hermione's great and pleasant surprise – and Hermione had told them both no and explained that she was going with someone else, who she did not name. Ron and Harry knew that she was going with someone, but she hadn't said who to them either.

Ginny had wondered why she refused to tell Harry and Ron who her date was. Hermione wasn't sure why herself – possibly it had to do with her feeling that they wouldn't believe her, or possibly it was that right when Harry had asked her who she was going with again, and right as Hermione had been preparing herself to tell him, Ron came in with that pitiful, horrified look on his face, saying he had just asked Fleur to the ball, who deigned to even give him an answer.

Hermione wasn't sure how well this evening was going to go, after Fleur's response to Ron's invitation. On one hand, it served Ron right, getting rejected after acting the way he had been about getting a date, but on the other, Ron was one of her best friends and she didn't like to see him hurt. Of course, it was entirely within Fleur's right to choose who she went with to the ball, but it seemed to Hermione that she had been rather rude in how she responsed – or she most likely would have been, had Ron not run away and prevented Fleur from being able to articulate a response.

Hermione would try to not think about that – it seemed slightly unfair to judge Fleur on something she hadn't even seen happen. Maybe she would ask her about it. After all, that was what the evening was for, really – to get to know Fleur better, and maybe Fleur hadn't meant to be rude. She was kind enough in the library, and Hermione wouldn't have any fun at all if she decided she disliked Fleur before she had more than just one conversation with her.

Nervously, and with a slightly shaking hand, Hermione smoothed her hair down again. It had taken nearly an hour and an entire bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion to force it into something other than the usual bushy tangle, and another hour to twist it into the elegant knot her mother wore her hair in for formal events. She had enjoyed the process, she admitted – it felt nice putting on her nice periwinkle dress robes and doing her hair.

It was time to go down to the Great Hall, or be late. As she walked out into the common room she saw that it was empty of everybody except for those too young to attend the Yule Ball. As she walked past the roaring fire and cozy armchairs, young faces gaped at her, an almost unflattering disbelief the expression on most of them. As Hermione awkwardly clambered out of the portrait hole and settled her dress robes, she allowed herself the grin that had threatened to break out as she walked through the common room. She couldn't deny that she had enjoyed their attention.

Hermione felt different as she walked through the empty corridors – which could have just been the absence of her book-filled bag, but Hermione knew it was something else. She felt beautiful, and every time she caught her reflection in one of the mirrors hanging on the walls, she grinned to herself. Fleur would overshadow her, Hermione knew, but Fleur's beauty was such that she overshadowed everybody, and Hermione found she didn't mind. For the moment, Hermione felt as though she was a completely different person. She couldn't help but wonder if her friends' reactions would be like the other Gryffindors' – if Fleur's would be.

As she approached the entrance hall, Hermione's stomach began to feel like a knot of excitement and nervousness. She could see Harry and Ron with Parvati and Padma, Harry looking slightly awkward and Ron picking at his horrible dress robes. Her eyes swept over the crowd, noting familiar faces, until she saw Fleur's silvery blonde hair. Fleur had already seen her and was making her way through the crowd towards her, looking absolutely gorgeous in silver-gray robes that clung to and accentuated her curves.

Her face was lit up in a wondrous smile and she didn't take her dark blue eyes off Hermione until she reached the bottom step, took Hermione's hand and held it up to her lips to brush a soft kiss against it. "You look absolutely stunning, 'Ermione."

Hermione felt her cheeks heat and hoped her blush wasn't too obvious. As they walked through the crowd, Hermione noticed Harry gaping at her and Parvati staring in open disbelief. "Hi, Harry! Hi, Parvati!" she said as she passed, her voice a touch breathless. She suppressed a pleased smile when she saw Pansy's jaw had dropped and that even Malfoy didn't have anything to say. Whispers followed her and Fleur through the crowd, but Hermione didn't pay them any attention.

Fleur led her to the doors to the Great Hall. "The champions will be ze ones who open ze dance, 'Ermione," Fleur told her as they lined up with the others. Krum smiled at her and Cho did as well. McGonagall looked surprised to see Hermione's hand in Fleur's, but the expression passed quickly and she told them to follow her.

Hermione's stomach felt like it was doing flips, but she tried her best to smile as Fleur wrapped an arm around her waist and they began to spin through the steps of the dance. Hermione had known she would be opening the dance, but knowing what would happen and being the absolute center of attention for hundreds of people were two very different things. She focused on Fleur's face and tried to ignore the feeling of hundreds of eyes on her. Fleur seemed to understand her nervousness and began rubbing the inside of Hermione's wrist with her thumb, a strangely soothing gesture.

Fleur was an amazing dancer, Hermione realized as they moved through the Great Hall, not that she was really surprised. She was surprised, however, at how well she herself moved through the steps. Hermione had not known how to dance at all earlier the same week, and after practicing with Ginny a couple times she had gotten the steps down but still worried she would trip or do something equally embarrassing, but she moved comfortably with Fleur, who had taken the lead and was smiling with all the confidence in the world. She found herself enjoying the dance, enjoying the feeling of Fleur's arm wrapped snuggly around her waist and her thumb still rubbing her wrist.

As her nervousness ebbed, Hermione took her eyes away from Fleur's and looked around the Hall. The walls were covered in sparkling frost and there were garlands of mistletoe and ivy hanging from the ceiling with looked like the starry black sky above it. Hundreds of small tables had replaced the House tables, and were decorated with silver clothes and lit with lanterns.

Pointing in her and Fleur's direction drew Hermione's attention and she saw several people leaning together to whisper in each other's ears. She saw a couple people laugh.

Hermione refocused her attention on Fleur, trying to ignore them. She could guess what they were saying.

Fleur had noticed as well and murmured, "Ignore zem, 'Ermione. Zeir words mean nothing." She squeezed Hermione's waist lightly, pulling her a little closer. "Don't pay zem any attention."

Hermione gave her a small smile and suddenly they had reached the table that Dumbledore and Madame Maxine and all the others were seated at. Madame Maxine looked pleased, Hermione noted.

Hermione and Fleur took their seats, and so did everybody else in the Great Hall. There were still people pointing to her and Fleur, but Hermione ignored them as they ordered their food – Hermione got pork chops and Fleur ordered something that Hermione had never heard of but smelled delicious.

Fleur started asking her questions when they were about halfway done with their food after Hermione had tried some of Fleur's dish, which she called blanquette de veau, and tasted even better than it smelled. She asked a lot about Hermione's home, absolutely fascinated by muggle life.

"Muggles start school when zey are five years old? But zat is 'orrible! What does a five year old need to learn in a school?" she was saying as dinner was cleared away and the dessert course was introduced.

"Mostly they teach small things that young, like how to read and write and tell time," Hermione told her, amused by Fleur's expression.

"Zen what do ze parent's teach zeir children?"

"Well, my mom taught me how to read before I started school, but mostly parents leave the teaching to the professors. Parents still teach things like how to act and what to say but math and science and subjects like that they let the school handle."

Fleur shook her head, her long hair swinging. "Zat is ridiculous. I could not imagine going to school when I was six."

"It wasn't that much fun, looking back," Hermione said, setting her spoon into her empty bowl and watching the dish melt away. Fleur was surprisingly easy to talk to, Hermione had realized. "So what is Beauxbatons like? It is very different from Hogwarts?"

Fleur nodded. "Oh, yes. These decorations," she said, gesturing to the Great Hall, "zey are nothing compared to Beauxbatons. At Christmas, we 'ave ice sculptures all around ze dining hall zat do not melt, of course, and wood nymphs to sing. The grounds of ze school are simply stunning and zer is a beach nearby zat we swim in during ze summer. Ze walls all sparkle like crystal and zer are windows to look out on ze grounds everywhere and zer are fountains in every courtyard with beautiful statues. The palace of Beauxbatons is beautiful."

Hermione's mouth thinned at the way Fleur made Hogwarts sound ugly – just because it wasn't sparkling and didn't have ice sculptures didn't mean the castle was ugly. But, to Fleur it must be, after living for so long in a place like that. Hermione decided to look past it. "Do you miss it much?" she asked instead.

"Yes," Fleur said, toying with one of the sleeves of her robes. "zis castle is very different and I cannot remember how to get anywhere. Beauxbatons does not 'ave any hidden doors or staircases that move."

Hermione sighed. "Is there anything about Hogwarts that you like?" she asked. She winced after the words left her mouth; she had spoken much more sharply than she had intended.

Fleur did not seem to mind. She thought about it for a minute. "I like ze ceiling of ze Great 'All – I have never seen somezing like it, and I like ze paintings around ze school. I also like ze system of choosing 'Ouses 'ere."

"How do they sort students at Beauxbatons?" Hermione asked, immensely interested. She had always wanted to know if the way students were sorted at Hogwarts was different than other schools, but no books held any kind of information about it and none of the professors had known either. Wizarding schools were very private about many things.

Fleur looked across the table at Madame Maxine for a moment, who was speaking with Dumbledore, before turning to face Hermione. She lowered her voice and said, "We are not put into 'Ouses ze way it is 'ere, but we are split into zree towers. Each is named after one of ze founders of ze school. Ze decision of which tower a student goes too is usually random but we can choose which tower to live in if we want. The floors of ze towers are split by years and on ze bottom floors zere is a common room."

Hermione leaned back in her chair, questions buzzing through her head. "I wonder if Durmstrang does the same as Hogwarts or Beauxbatons or does something completely different?"

"I zink zeir system is more like Beauxbatons. I 'ad never 'eard of a way like 'Ogwarts before I came 'ere." Fleur paused, and tapped her lip thoughtfully. "I do not zink I understand it. 'Ow are students put into 'Ouses? I 'ave 'eard it is by qualities the student 'as, but 'ow do zey 'now what qualities you 'ave?"

"The Sorting Hat," Hermione told her, "We put it on when we get to school. It was bewitched by Godric Gryffindor when he founded the school and it sort of knows everything in our heads and it sorts us into our Houses based on what it finds."

Fleur considered that. "Zat is an interesting way to do zings." She looked around and Hermione saw the other champions standing up and going to the dance floor. Fleur turned back to her and smiled, excitement in her blue eyes as she held out her hand. "Would you like to dance again, 'Ermione?"

Hermione took her hand and let Fleur pull her onto the dance floor. Soon, the other students had joined them and the dance floor was packed with students and staff.

When Fleur asked Hermione if she was enjoying herself, Hermione didn't hesitate to say yes. The evening was much more fun than she had imagined it would be and she was having a great time dancing with Fleur, talking with her over the music and laughing – she found that, after talking about so much with her, she very much liked Fleur, despite the complaints about Hogwarts. She was easy to talk to and had a great sense of humor. It wasn't until Hermione's feet were starting to ache and Fleur said she would get punch that they got off the dance floor and Hermione went to Harry and Ron's table.

Hermione watched Parvati leave and sat down in her empty chair.

"Hi," Harry said, while Ron continued to stare at the dancers.

"It's hot, isn't it? Have you too been enjoying yourselves?" Hermione asked, fanning her face. She hoped she wasn't sweating through her dress robes. "Fleur just gone to get punch. Would you like to join us?"

Ron sneered at her. "Are you sure that's why she left?"

Hermione stared at him, surprised by his tone and his words. "What's wrong with you?"

He turned away. "If you don't know," he snarled, "then I won't tell you."

Hermione glanced at Harry to see if he could explain Ron's behaviour, but all he did was shrug uncomfortably, so she turned back at Ron, who still wasn't looking at her. "Ron, what are you talking about?"

He turned to face her then, his ears a harsh shade of red. "She's from  _Beauxbatons_! She's competing against Harry! You're not supposed to be  _friendly_  with her or the Durmstrangs, they're – they're the enemies here!"

Hermione sat up straight, her mouth falling open. "The enemies! That's ridiculous, Ron, we're supposed to make friends with them, that's what the entire point of this Tournament is! And honestly, you asked her to the ball two days ago! You didn't think she was the  _enemy_  then!"

Ron ignored her. "So what'd you do? Ask her to go with you and say you couldn't find anyone else to go with?"

Hermione couldn't believe him. It felt like he had slapped her. "You think she came with me out of  _pity_?" she hissed, her voice quivering despite her attempts to strengthen it.

"That, or she's trying to get ahead of Harry and figure out what the egg means. It's obvious! Why are you here with her, anyway? You don't even fancy girls!"

Hermione could only look at him. He glared at her with narrowed eyes and his hands were clenched into fists on his lap. Harry stared down at his hands, frowning, before looking up and saying, "Ron, it doesn't bother me that's Hermione's here with Fleur."

Ron ignored him too and turned away. "Why don't you just go find Fleur and make sure she hasn't ditched you."

"I can't believe you," Hermione hissed through trembling lips, feeling tears well up behind her eyes. "Fleur didn't come with me because she felt  _sorry_  for me – she asked  _me_  to come with  _her_. And she hasn't asked about Harry or the Tournament  _once_!"

Hermione jumped out of her seat and spun around. She pushed into the crowd without hearing Ron's response, tears of anger and hurt blurring her vision and making it hard to see where she was going.

She slowed when she was in the entrance hall and wiped the hot tears from her cheeks. She walked out until she was surrounded by bushes covered in twinkling lights, and sat down on one of the benches that was far away from the people wandering around.

She sat down, sniffling, and stared down at her hands, thinking about what Ron had said. She didn't believe him, of course – she'd be stupid to think Fleur would have only asked her to the ball to try and get to Harry, it was completely ridiculous – but what Ron said hurt, as if the only way she could have gotten a date was by begging. It was so hypocritical of him – he would have been ecstatic if Fleur had asked  _him_  to the ball.

Hermione didn't know how long she sat outside on the bench, shivering in the cold, until Fleur suddenly appeared out of a bush. "'Ermione? What are you doing out 'ere? I thought you want to dance after talking to your friends." She sat down next to her and pushed a lock of Hermione's hair that had escaped her bun behind her ear. "'Ermione?" she said softly. "Why are you crying?"

Hermione shook her head, rubbing at her cheeks. Fleur took one of her hands and used the corner of her sleeve to catch the tears rolling down Hermione's chin. "What 'appened? Will you please tell me?"

Hermione sniffled again and glanced at her. Fleur was staring at her intently, her expression a mix of concern and worry. Fleur squeezed her hand when Hermione looked down at her knees. "Ron – Ron didn't like that I came here with you. He said that – that you didn't really want to and that you were only trying to get me to tell you how to work the egg."

Fleur made a vexed sound and her hand clenched around Hermione's. "Zat is absurd!" she said hotly. When Hermione looked up she saw that Fleur's eyes had narrowed to angry slits. "I would not do such a zing! Of course I wanted to go with you, 'ow dare 'e!"

She shook her head angrily and took Hermione's other hand, her touch surprisingly gentle given her expression "You do not believe 'im, do you? It is not true." Her eyes searched Hermione's intently.

"No, of course not, Fleur. I don't think Ron does either. He's just angry about something else – I don't know what."

Fleur frowned thoughtfully for a moment, angry color lingering in her cheeks. "'E is the one who asked me to the ball a couple days ago, yes? Is 'e angry zat you came with me instead of 'im?"

"I don't think that's why. He wasn't mad about that earlier, just embarrassed."

"Zen 'e is angry that you did you not go with 'im. 'E is jealous."

Hermione blinked in surprise. "Jealous? Why would Ron be jealous? He doesn't like me like that, I'm just his friend. He would have asked me – actually asked me – if he fancied me." No, Ron definitely did not fancy her.

Fleur shrugged, letting go of Hermione's hands so she could wipe the last few tears from her cheeks. "Maybe 'e does not 'now 'e likes you as more zan a friend, yet."

Hermione nodded, not really believing her, but not wanting to talk about it anymore. "How did you know to come out here?"

"I could not see you in ze 'All so I came out 'ere to look," Fleur told her.

They were silent for a moment while Hermione watched shadows move across the ground before Fleur broke the silence. "Why did Ron run away when 'e asked me to go with 'im?"

Hermione shrugged and frowned. "He knew you would say no and I think he was intimidated by you. He said you looked at him like he was a slug."

Fleur huffed like she was annoyed. "That might because 'e shouted ze question at me like 'e was mad. 'E ran away before I could do anything but look at 'im." She sighed. "It does not matter. Would you like to stay out 'ere longer? Ze Weird Sister were playing zeir last song when I left."

Hermione shook her head. "It's late. I – I should probably go back to my dormitory," she muttered, standing up, suddenly feeling awkward. She had enjoyed spending time with Fleur – she didn't know if she would see her again or not.

"May I walk with you?" Fleur asked, standing with her.

"Er – Sure."

They walked out of the gardens into the empty entrance hall; most of the students were still in the Great Hall. Their footsteps echoed hollowly as they walked down the corridors. Fleur didn't speak much, seemingly lost in thought, and Hermione only comments were warnings about trick steps.

The walk back to the common room seemed much shorter than it usually was and Hermione hesitated before saying goodbye to Fleur and waking up the Fat Lady, who was dozing in her frame. She faced Fleur, not sure what to say and rubbing her arms.

Fleur said nothing, regarding her silently for a long moment that seemed to stretch even longer. "I like you 'Ermione. I would like to spend more time with you."

Hermione smiled at her, strangely relieved. "I would like that."

Fleur took a step closer, reaching out to tuck that loose strand of hair behind her ear. It seemed a more intimate gesture than it had in the garden and Hermione felt butterflies twirl to life in her stomach. Fleur's eyes seemed a darker shade of blue than they had earlier. "May I kiss you, 'Ermione?" she asked in a soft voice.

Hermione was sure she blushed right down to her chest and that her face was tomato red. She glanced down the corridors, which were still empty, and then back at Fleur, who, like when she had first asked Hermione to the ball, did not seem disappointed by Hermione's lack of an answer, only patiently waiting for a yes or no. She glanced away again, biting her lip and needing a moment to think.

It felt fast. Hermione still didn't really know Fleur, though she had learned much about her in the course of the evening – that Fleur had a little sister, that she was a Chaser on her Quidditch team at Beauxbatons, that her grandmother was a Veela, making Fleur a quarter-Veela. Hermione had decided she liked Fleur, but she didn't know if she fancied her – she had never fancied anybody before, so she wasn't sure, and she had never kissed anyone either.

Fleur didn't grow impatient as Hermione thought, and the more Hermione thought, the more nervously excited she became and the more she realized that she wanted to know what it felt like to kiss Fleur. Hermione felt very warm, and when she looked back at Fleur, she swallowed and said in a voice that was not as steady as Hermione had hoped, "Yes?"

Fleur's lips twitched into a small smile and she leaned down to just barely brush her lips against Hermione's – barely a kiss. She leaned back slightly and murmured "Goodnight, 'Ermione" in her ear. And then she was walking down the corridor.

Hermione stared after her until she realized the Fat Lady had just woken up and was asking her if she was going to give her the password. Blushing furiously again, she gasped the password and the door swung open.

As Hermione scrambled through into the common room, which was now empty, she touched her lips, wondering when she would next see Fleur.

 


End file.
